diff --git a/distrib/arc/instkernel/Makefile b/distrib/arc/instkernel/Makefile
index 156730dce087..35735ad42345 100644
--- a/distrib/arc/instkernel/Makefile
+++ b/distrib/arc/instkernel/Makefile
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#	$NetBSD: Makefile,v 1.9 2005/05/07 14:15:51 tsutsui Exp $
+#	$NetBSD: Makefile,v 1.10 2008/02/02 13:47:04 tsutsui Exp $
 
 .include <bsd.own.mk>
 .include "${NETBSDSRCDIR}/distrib/common/Makefile.distrib"
@@ -9,6 +9,10 @@ RAMDISK=	${RAMDISKDIR}/ramdisk.fs
 MDSETTARGETS=		RAMDISK ${RAMDISK} -
 MDSET_RELEASEDIR=	binary/kernel
 
+# do not strip kernels, there's no space constraints here.
+MDSET_NOSTRIP.netbsd-RAMDISK=
+MDSET_NOSYMBOLS.netbsd-RAMDISK=
+
 .include "${DISTRIBDIR}/common/Makefile.mdset"
 
 .include <bsd.prog.mk>